What's it about?

A musical where a boy and girl have hidden their love from their fathers. But those feelings are soon defied by the real world and the real question is... will they fall out of love for each other?

What'd I experience?

What is The Fantasticks? Were they going to be characters that possessed some kind of special powers? The title made a big statement for me, it meant something and I didn’t know what, but it reminded me of superhero movies.

The introduction to this musical was not something I expected. El Gallo, who is the narrator of the story, appeared and introduced the rest of the characters. He does so with a humorous description to categorized each one of them. It was so that when the rest of the characters proceeded to present themselves, they did so in ways that made me look at them like odd people.

Yup, they were just people. With no special powers but rather with touches of weirdness to each of their personalities.

Such was the case of the girl, Luisa, whom strongly believes that she is a princess and demands to be addressed like so by her father… CRAZY. The boy, Matt, Louisa's prince was not much of a different case. *Guess they were meant for each other.*

They portrayed their love as they sang romantic and silly…better yet corny…lines to each other. Keeping their encounters secret from their fathers, Hucklebee and Bellomy, who raised them to believe that they were long term enemies. The reality was their rivalry was only a plan to get their kids to fall for one another.

I didn’t know if this was a clever idea or a total waste of time. It was like a whole lotta fuzz for nothing. But after thinking it through, and although it might seem like a silly story, I grasped something very important. Luisa and Matt have lived in fantasy the whole time they have been in “love” with each other (as they say). Comparing themselves to the typical princess and her prince was a clue that they thought of their lives as fairytales, and the real world was something that they had not yet witnessed.

Personally I cannot affirm that this must be what being in love feels like, for only those who have ever been can truly express what the feeling is. But by the things I hear from others, it seems so. My friend’s story comes to mind - expressing her joy and wonder for that beautiful person that she has beside her. It was kind of funny and weird to think that this love feeling could really extend itself so much that someone is blinded by it.

At times, I have thought that I want a relationship to work so that there are no troubles. But, I'm kind of scared of a situation like that actually taking place. Were all relationships were trouble free, would that even be real love? Or would it all be a lie? Would that even be life? I was turning all philosophical when... I stopped. I didn’t like that I had no answers to any of these questions. So, I watched the show.

After intermission, El Gallo, who played the part of a bandit, takes away Luisa, and then fights Matt to make him a hero in everyone's eyes. This is another plan devised by the fathers to make love happen. Except, all plans can fail, and in this one Luisa falls into some type of admiration for the bandit. Who, in comparison to Matt, is built, strong and daring. Qualities worth admiring. Thus the once perfect and lovely relationship (Matt and Luisa) is broken. It seemed like they had just discovered a new aspect of what a relationship could be and they were getting a taste of the actual world. Each one wanted different things now, and took different paths. Luisa on one hand wanted to know and travel the world with El Gallo, while Matt on the other left his home to make a life of his own.

What happened to each was not pure bliss. Matt endured the real world, with nothing but himself, realizing that life isn’t as easy as just declaring himself independent. While Luisa faced deception and betrayal from El Gallo, showing her that people are not always what they seemed to be. At this point I knew this love story had taken a turn. I recognized real life, one in which anything can happen and where there are troubles as well as happiness.

I guess I'm saying that I'm grateful for existing in this world because I am able to experience a whole load of adventures and laughs. I don’t think I’d do this if I lived a plain life where only one type of emotion would exist…it'd be boring, and to me it's impossible to imagine.